You never even called me by my name: David Allan Coe

Why are names so damn hard to remember? You know the typical situation, your at a party and your best friend introduces you to five beautiful elegant woman. Each of them with their own distinct features, blond hair blue eyes or smooth tan skin and long legs or just plain "hott" as some might say. All this time your salivating over the glamor before your eyes, you haven't listened to a word your buddy just said. Their individual names become lost in a sea of sexuality in your free hanging head.Well forgetting someone's name can happen in a variety of different situations but none better than a one night stand. Am I right?
This song is preformed by one of country music's most underrated singer/songwriters. the Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy himself. David Allan Coe. Now when most people hear the name "David Allan Coe" they think of a racist,misogynistic, vulgar womanizing male with nothing to do with his time except disgust others. He was raised in and out of reform schools his entire adolescence and lived behind bars most of his young life. He even claims to have been on death row for killing a fellow inmate who demanded oral sex from Coe. So with this odd malicious up bring, he was bound to have some ruff edges.
But if you dig deeper through the compacted dirty ground of country music, you'll find that even though Coe released two X-rated albums, one in 1978 and one in 1982, that the jewels of his waltzing honky tonk revolution had a major impact on all country music.Most notably on his 1974 release of Once Upon a Rhyme which peaked on the US country charts at number 8. This album is composed of low down tear jerking traditional country music. Some written about his life in prison, many about his juvenile youth and a few about the never fail tag line of country music...Heartbreak. On this album came Coe's signature song "You never even called me by my name" written by Steve Goodman and the always welcome John Prine. This song went all the way to Number 8 on the US Country singles chart bringing Coe immense success.
The first line of the song is a country music foundation. "It was all I could do, to keep from crying, sometimes it seems so useless to remain" Here the narrator is speaking of a past love so torn, trying not to cry, he thinks better for himself to not exist. Followed by the title "You don't have to call me darlin...darlin, you never even called me by my name".

Mama Tried- Merle Haggard

In the early 90's when I was as young radical child growing up in the rural county, I played with slick hot wheels, I concumed mass quanities of rubbery frozen chicken nuggets and I love to play outside in the dirt, but more than any those needs. I needed one thing, one person much more and that was my momma. Not every child but most children have a strong attachment to their caregivers, Lovers, their mothers. Just as sweet mothers have a strong attachment to their children. Mother's want the best for their beautiful little spawns. Mothers want to give there children nice clothes, a good education and for them to succeed in life. No matter how bad you didn't want to go to stupid school, no matter how much you hated that green grass colored broccoli Mama made you. No matter how awake you were at bedtime or how you didn't want to play in the mud, she made you go to bed and wouldn't let you play in the mud(but I did anyway). All you can say is Mama Tried.
The lyrics I have today is from not only a man but a legend. One of country music's greatest artist of all time. The old and bold Merle Haggard. Merle Haggards father died of cancer when he was only nine years so he grew up without a father figure and continued to act out. He was in and out of Juvenile Detention centers numerous times throughout his life until he went to prison. While in prison at San Quinton he attended one Johny Cash's three concerts there. From then on he knew he should straighten up his life and pursue a singing career. So as his singing career began, he wrote many songs about his troubled childhood and the only person that loved him then. His mama.
"And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole.
No-one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried.
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied.
That leaves only me to blame 'cos Mama tried.
In this lyric Merle Haggard is talking about his time in prison. All he can remember is the happy times in his life before he went wrong. He recalls all the attempts his mother tried to turn him around into a decent citizen. After time spent in Juvenile Dentition he still wasn't on the right path, but his mother still tried. After escaping prison twice and being caught again still on the wrong road, his mother tried to steer him right. His mother had different plans for her son, she tried to raise them the best she knew how but he wouldn't adjust. As she begged and pleaded for him not to walk out that door to a life of lies and sin, he denied her request.
Now while in prison. Juvenile Detention and prison couldn't change him because he he blamed all his problems and misfortunes on other people. Point the finger at his friends and family for his own troubles. But soon he realized after seeing Johnny Cash in concert that they weren't the ones to blame. His mother tried and tried and tried but failed until the day he realized its was him own self to blame.